Devil May Cry, The Traitor's Bloodline, Nero Arc
by Anime and Games
Summary: Nero is sent on a mission to apprehend Dante and to defeat Overlord Zenon, but after a failed ritual he ends up being bound to Rozalin, Overlord Zenon's daughter, who claims to have known him in the past. Watch Nero unlock the secrets of his family's past and fight against Overlords and other demonic forces.
1. A Devil and two Princesses

Devil May Cry, The Traitor's Bloodline, Nero Arc

Chapter one: A Devil and two Princesses.

It was a joyous occasion on Fortuna city, for it was the seventeenth birthday of Princess Sapphire Rhodonite, despite the recent reports of humans suddenly turning into demons, particularly in the neighboring country, Veldime, the citizens were celebrating, inside Fortuna Castle. At the ballroom, Princess Sapphire was waiting for a very important guest, she wore her usual armored dress; beside her was a brown haired man with a goatee, wearing a white uniform.

"He's late…" Sapphire sighed. "Credo, why is Nero late for my birthday party?" She asked the brown haired man, she was getting impatient.

"Nero has always been irresponsible." Credo replied, annoyed by the tardiness of the person in subject. "I'm sure he's coming though."

"He better!" Sapphire's impatience was reaching its limit. "I have something very important to tell him!" She could barely contain her excitement.

* * *

On the streets of Fortuna city, a young man with white hair and his right arm in a sling, dressed in a navy blue trench coat with a red zip up vest was rushing to the castle.

"Damn!" The white haired man was rushing to the castle. "I'm gonna be late!" He was said in a worried tone, he held with him a small green box with a ribbon tied onto it. "I can already hear Credo lecturing me, "Nero you should be more responsible!" Give me a break…"

Just as Nero neared the castle, he was confronted by several demons, the demons showed grotesque features, and their "skin" looked like tattered cloth or leather and a large blade stuck out of where their right leg should be.

"I don't have time for you bastards!" Nero let out an annoyed sigh. "Just my luck, Sapphire's gonna kill me for being late!"

The demons pounced at him, leaping several feet into the air, with a demonic cackle; they started to slash at him.

"Get the hell out of my way!" Nero caught one of the demons and ripped its bladed leg off then slicing it in half with its own leg.

The demons slashed madly at Nero, each swing becoming more violent than the last and their cackles had become ear shatteringly loud.

"I'll shut you up!" Nero was annoyed by the demon's loud cackles, he then raised the bladed leg and he cut down two of them.

The demons attacked in a more aggressive pattern, they now jumped and slashed with savage brutality, hoping to overwhelm Nero.

"Let's make this quick." Nero smirked and he threw the bladed leg like a boomerang, slicing all but one lone demon. "I hope you like flowers, because here's my Blue Rose!" He took out a long silver double-barreled revolver engraved with a rose stem pattern. "Bang!" He shot the demon, killing it instantly.

* * *

Nero rushed into Fortuna Castle and made it to the ballroom where Sapphire and Credo were waiting for him.

"You're late." Credo scolded Nero. "The princess has been waiting for you!"

"Well, I'm here now right?" Nero sighed in discontent; he didn't like being scolded by Credo.

"She's furious at you." Credo said to the tardy Nero, to him, failing to follow Sapphire's orders was a grave sin. "As a Holy Knight and a member of the Royal Guard, you must always be ready to receive orders."

"You don't have to tell me." Nero gave Credo an annoyed look. He really hated lectures.

"From my experience, I can tell that your father was a great warrior." Credo sighed, still rather annoyed by Nero's lack of respect. "Your cocky and unreliable attitude must have come from your mother."

"Yeah?" Nero stood up, he felt that Credo's comments were out of line and he was getting a little angry. "I didn't know either of them, so who cares where I got my attitude!"

"Forgive me." Credo said. He had just realized that he had commented on Nero's parents, despite his status as an orphan. "I had no right to make such assumptions."

"Whatever…" Nero walked away, though Credo had apologized, the whereabouts of his parents was a touchy subject for him.

"Nero!" An enraged Sapphire had just spotted him; she then walked over to him with her fists balled up. "You're late!" She punched his right arm with great force, causing Nero to stagger backwards.

"What the hell?!" Nero looked at Sapphire with a surprised expression, he knew she would be angry but not to that extent. "Sorry I'm late, there was a roadblock." He remembered the demons he had fought earlier the he rubbed his right arm after feeling the impact of her punch. "If that was my left arm, you would've broken it to pieces!"

"It's your fault for being late for my birthday party!" Sapphire crossed her arms, still mad at Nero for his tardiness. "But thanks for coming." She smiled at him.

"Wouldn't miss this if my life depended on it." Nero smiled back at Sapphire, relieved that she had calmed down so quickly. "With your berserk disposition…my life does depend on it." He thought to himself and shuddered.

"I don't care what Credo says, you are dependable." Sapphire gave Nero a warm smile; the kind of smile a princess would give a knight when she praises him.

"Well, Happy Birthday." Nero smiled nervously and handed Sapphire the green box he was holding. "Hope you like this."

"Thanks Nero!" Sapphire smiled excitedly as she opened the box. "Wow!" Inside the box, she saw a ornate silver pistol adorned with blue and gold markings. "It's beautiful…" She was amazed by its appearance.

"Getting a gun is a pain in the ass here in Fortuna." Nero smiled nervously, he was glad that Sapphire liked the present he had given her, especially after all the trouble he had gone through to obtain it.

"I'll treasure it forever." Sapphire gave Nero a warm smile; she was really touched that he had given her such a nice present.

"His Holiness, Sanctus is about to say a prayer." Credo said to both Nero and Sapphire, as a holy knight, prayers were very important to him.

* * *

In front of all the guests, an old man dressed in a white robe with red and gold markings was about to say a prayer to commemorate this event and to bless the citizens of Fortuna City, behind him was a horned statue that held a large sword.

"2,000 years ago, the Dark Knight Sparda, turned against his demon brethren and took up his sword for the sake of mankind. Though despite his great efforts in our names, I fear some have forgotten the truth of that great sacrifice." Sanctus preached in front of the guests, making several gestures with his hands.

"Who could forget with you shoving this down our throats every Sunday." Nero said under his breath, Sanctus's speech was putting him to sleep.

"Although we live so close to the border between the human and demonic worlds, and an affliction has befallen our brothers and sisters at Veldime, caused by the evil Overlord Zenon, we must rejoice the coming of age of our beloved princess, may the Savior always protect her." Sanctus added to his speech, he spoke to bless Sapphire. "May the Savior, guide her to her destiny." He then held his hands together. "Let us pray."

"I'm outta here…" Nero sighed and stood up, he was at his limit with Sanctus's preaching.

"But it's almost the good part!" Sapphire smiled at Nero, wanting him to stay and celebrate with her. "After this, I'll tell you something really important." She was becoming very anxious.

"By the time this is over…" Nero looked at Sanctus with an annoyed expression; he didn't like how preachy he was all the time. "I'll end up looking like His Holiness." He joked, but then suddenly, his right arm started to glow through the sling.

"Time to crash this party!" A man with white hair dressed in a red coat with a large Zweihander with a bone design broke in through the ceiling and landed on the table in front of Sanctus.

Sanctus was surprised by the red-coated man's sudden appearance; he stood still with his jaw wide open.

"Sorry, but Sunday mornings are for sleeping in!" The red-coated man grinned and took out his silver handgun and shot Sanctus between the eyes, the spray of blood dyed his cheek red.

"Your Holiness!" Credo was shocked by what had just transpired, upon seeing the red-coated man slay Sanctus, he drew his sword, prompting the knights behind him to do the same. He immediately rushed to the wounded old man's side.

The knights charged at the red-coated man and surrounded him, the party guests were scrambling to get out of the room and avoid the incoming battle.

One of the knights charged at the red-coated man but was kicked away by him, sending him flying to a nearby table, another knight tried to slash him with his sword, only to have it parried, the red-coated man then pushed him down and stabbed him.

"No!" Credo was distraught by the sight of a bloodied Sanctus, he then commanded his knight to take the old man away from the ballroom.

The red-coated man continued to fight off the knights that had surrounded and attacked him, a knight tried to stab him but ended up getting stabbed himself, the red-coated man then swung his sword, the poor knight still suck on its blade, he used the impaled knight as a mace and hit the other knights, sending them flying to the walls, he then noticed another knight behind him and he cut him down mercilessly, he then saw Credo holding Sanctus's body and approached him.

"Credo!" Sapphire glared at the red-coated man, she then aimed her pistol at him and shot at him before he could get any closer.

"That's some greeting you got there." The red-coated man saw the bullet coming and he sliced it in half with his sword, he then approached Sapphire.

"Get away from her!" Nero yelled out as he ran over to the red-coated man and he delivered a powerful jump hick to his face, sending him flying, he then landed and he took out Blue Rose, firing two bullets at him.

The red-coated man blocked the bullets with his sword he jumped on top of a horned statue, stabbing his sword into it to prevent him from falling.

Nero then leapt and kicked the red-coated man causing him to loosen his grip on his sword, both of them landed on the statue's arms, Nero pointed Blue Rose at him and the red-coated man took out his two handguns, one black and one silver and pointed them at him.

"Nero!" Sapphire yelled out and she aimed her pistol at the red-coated man. "I wanna fight him, too!"

"Go with Credo and get outta here!" Nero yelled out, he didn't want Sapphire to get involved in this dangerous fight, despite knowing full well that she could hold her own.

"I will return with help!" Credo rushed over to Sapphire, wielding hos sword, just in case the red-coated man attacked. "You stall him until then!"

Neo was in a standoff with the red-coated man, both of them had their guns pointed at each other.

"I won't hold my breath." Nero stood his ground, preparing himself for his fight against the red-coated man; he then fired two bullets from Blue Rose.

The red-coated man jumped into the air to avoid Nero's bullets, he then aimed his handguns at him midair.

Nero then jumped after the red-coated man, firing more rounds from Blue Rose, hoping to hit him, the red-coated man then fired his handguns at him at point blank, both of them firing at each other. Nero grabbed the red-coated man by the ankle and he hurled him at the statue.

The red-coated man saw that hos sword was still stuck to the statue and he gripped its handle, but then Nero delivered a powerful axe kick, sending the sword flying, the red-coated man then caught his sword and knocked Nero down.

Nero rolled down the statue and kicked against the stone sword's blade so that he wouldn't fall. The red-coated man stood atop the stone sword's pommel, but then Nero kicked the sword, breaking it away from the statues hands, as the sword fell, he ran up its blade and shot at the red-coated man.

Nero and the red-coated man landed on the ground, both of them aiming at each other with their respective firearms.

"You've got a jacked up notion of fair play pal, and it's beginning to piss me off!" Nero was angry, the red-coated man had interrupted an important day for Sapphire, and he had killed several of his fellow knights, he shot at him and reloaded Blue Rose.

The red-coated man disappeared from sight in a red blur, only to appear behind Nero.

"I guess this doesn't quite cut it." Nero put away Blue Rose and he saw one of the fallen knight's swords, he then kicked it up and caught it, stabbing it onto the ground and revving it's handle, producing heat from the blade. "What's the point packin' a sword like that if you aren't even gonna use it?" He noticed the red-coated man's sword.

The red-coated man raised his sword and looked at it, before sticking its blade onto the ground and mockingly imitating Nero's revving movement.

Nero charged at the red-coated man and crossed swords with him, the red-coated man pushed him back with his tremendous strength, Nero recovered quickly and tried to stab him, but the red-coated man knocked the sword out of his hand, he then glided his feet across the ground and lunged at him at a high speed.

Nero broke the sling on his right arm, revealing a demonic looking red arm with a blue glow, blocking the red-coated man's attack, the resulting impact blew away the chairs and tables around them.

"You got a trick up your sleeve." The red-coated man looked at Nero's arm, he recognized its demonic power and felt a familiar presence from it.

"I thought the cat had your tongue." Nero blocked the red-coated man's sword, surprised to hear him speak during their battle. "If it's a trick you're looking for, try this!" He held the red-coated man's sword and threw him across the room along with it.

"Looks like you too are a…" The red-coated man landed on his feet, fully acknowledging Nero's demonic blood, He also noticed that Nero had the exact same look in his eyes as someone he once knew.

Nero summoned a ghostly extension of his demonic arm, he then picked up the statue's sword and he hurled it at the red-coated man.

The red-coated man moved his head, avoiding the stone sword by mere inches; he then took another look at Nero's arm.

"Hate to interrupt." Nero dusted his hands. "But I wanna wrap this up before the cavalry arrives."

The red-coated man slashed at Nero, only to have his sword caught once more by his opponent's demonic arm, he was then thrown across the room and he landed on a chair.

"So, you're looking to play, huh? The red-coated man sat back and grinned, excited for the upcoming battle. "Alright, I guess I've got some time to kill."

"Tough guy, huh?" Nero pushed the red-coated man away with his demonic arm; he then picked up his sword and jumped onto a chair and smirked. "I think I'll have to take you down a couple notches."

"Whatever you say, kid." The red-coated man smiled and he readied his sword.

Nero and the red-coated man fought once more, Nero slashed his sword in an ex formation after swinging it around and the red-coated man parried his attacks, he then tossed his sword up in the air and he took out his dual handgun and opened fire, Nero responded by taking out Blue Rose and firing it, the red-coated man then put away hid handguns and caught his sword, Nero then charged at him and was ready to punch him, the red-coated man blocked the punch but was pushed back, Nero the grabbed him by the ankle and punched his face, causing the red-coated man to lose his grip on his sword, sending it flying, Nero continued to punch his face, causing the red-coated man to transform on and off into his demonic form, Nero then threw him against the statue and picked up the red-coated man's sword, throwing it at him, and impaling him against the statue.

An exhausted Nero then walked away, thinking he had won the battle.

"Getting better." The red-coated man said, still impaled onto the statue, surprised by Nero's strength. "I would even go as far as to say I underestimated your…" He pushed himself and his sword out of the statue. "Abilities." He smirked with his sword still stuck on his chest.

"You aren't human, are you?" Nero was shocked; he thought he had killed the red-coated man for sure.

"We're the same, you and…" The red-coated man placed both his hands on his sword's blade and pushed it out of his chest. "I." He then looked at a fallen knight with its helmet off, revealing its black volcanic skin and bright orange eyes. "And them, though I suspect you carry something different from the others." He disappeared in a red blur and he reappeared on the window.

"What are you talking about?!" Nero pointed at the red-coated man, confused about what he had just heard from him.

"You'll come to learn the meaning soon enough." The red-coated man spoke in a playful yet cryptic tone, not wanting to surprise Nero. "But, business beckons, if you want a round two, you can find me on the other end of the forest!" He then walked out of the window, preparing to jump.

"Hey!" An angry Nero shot at the red-coated man, only to see that he wasn't there, he still didn't understand the meaning behind what he was told.

"Adios, kid!" The red-coated man reappeared briefly and grinned before jumping out of the window.

* * *

Credo and his reinforcements arrived, only for them to see that the red-coated man was no longer there, leaving Nero to think about his words, they were then followed by Sapphire, who dragged a large black case with the order insignia on it.

"You brought this here for me?" Nero smiled at Sapphire, thankful to her and at the same time, he was glad she was safe.

"You would've beat him of you had it." Sapphire looked annoyed, she wanted to fight the red-coated man as well, but he was already gone.

"Well, with this Red Queen, I can kick his ass when I see him again!" Nero opened the black case and assembled his sword, when it was finished; it took the appearance of a large curved blade with a red handle and a gearshift.

"Don't leave me out next time!" Sapphire glared, was still upset about missing the fight.

"So, he's headed for Veldime, huh?" Nero held Red Queen and smiled, content at his weapon's assembly.

"That's what the witnesses said." Credo paced the room, assessing the damage to the surroundings. "One of the Order's research facilities is there."

"Not exactly a tourist friendly place, with all the demonized people living there!" Nero joked as he revved Red Queen.

"You jest so lightly in a time of crisis?! Credo was annoyed by Nero's inability to take the situation more seriously. "We have this madman on the loose on top of Overlord Zenon's curse!" He clenched his fists, remembering the attack. " You must capture him!"

"Trust me, I'll get it done." Nero placed Red Queen on his back, preparing to lave for his mission.

"Before the attack, His Holiness selected you to deal with Overlord Zenon and reverse the curse." Credo calmed down as he explained the situation, for Sanctus's orders were treated like an absolute to him. "I suspect that he is behind the Man in Red's recent attack as well."

"Two demons in one day." Nero sighed; thinking of the amount of work his new mission entailed was enough to tire him already. "Today's my lucky day." He said with sarcasm in his voice. "Maybe the curse has something to do with my damn arm."

"Nero." Sapphire looked at him, she wanted to tell him what she had been meaning to since the beginning of the celebration. "Can we talk?"

"There's no time, duty calls." Nero was ready to embark on the mission that he was assigned to. "Can't pass up on an emergency…" He looked at Sapphire, feeling guilty about leaving so abruptly.

"Just don't keep me waiting too long." Sapphire punched Nero's shoulder playfully; she resigned herself to waiting after hearing how urgent his mission was. "Or I'll sneak out and bring you back myself!"

"I understand that Veldime is where the accident occurred, and the place where that arm of yours first appeared." Credo said in his regular commanding tone. He asked in order to find out if that fact could be a liability to the mission. "There is a famous summoner living there in Holt Village, my contacts will inform her of your arrival."

"I don't remember anything about that place… all I remember is getting this damn Devil Bringer" Nero looked at his demonic arm and sighed, his inability to remember his time in Veldime before his arm changed was bothering him. "Well, time for the most stressful vacation ever."

"I must return the headquarters and report." Credo looked at Sapphire before walking away, he knew that it wasn't safe to remain where they were. "Come with me, princess, you'll be safe there."

"Remember, you have to come back quickly!" Sapphire shot a smile at Nero, confident that he could finish his mission. "That's an order!" She then followed Credo.

* * *

Later, at the Order of the Sword's headquarters, Credo and Sapphire were having a conversation regarding Nero.

"Why would you select someone like Nero as your personal knight?" Credo asked he was confused by Sapphire's decision to choose Nero, despite his irresponsible behavior.

"Because Nero's the only person who won't die on me." Sapphire looked down as she remembered all the heroes that had died in her name. "He's all I have, the one person strong enough to stay by my side, he's always been there for me…ever since we were kids." She blushed as she remembered the fond memories of their childhood together.

* * *

Nero then headed to Veldime through a road The Order had constructed, passing through Mitis forest, as he arrived in Holt Village, he saw the demonized villagers.

"Great…Halloween in December." Nero sighed as he observed the villagers, their features had become demonic but their attitudes and general activities still seemed human albeit slightly altered.

"So you're the order official sent to help us?" A middle-aged blue haired woman with three eyes approached Nero from behind, she was glad to see that The Order had finally sent help.

"Yeah, that's me." Nero turned around to face the woman; her three eyes didn't bother him as much as it should have, due to having a demonic body part himself. "The Order's errand boy." He sighed. And his stomach grumbled he hadn't eaten anything since his fight with the red-coated man.

"You must be starving!" The three-eyed woman smiled; she was eager to entertain her new guest and to help him solve the problem they faced. "Come spend the night at my house, I'll introduce you to my family."

"Sounds good." Nero smiled, after the long journey and his fight with the red-coated man; he was looking for an opportunity to recover.

* * *

Later that night Nero and the three-eyed woman were having dinner with her family, her husband was a red haired demon with grey skin and a horn, her eldest son was a young man about Nero's age with red hair, her middle son was a small boy with horns and grey hair and her youngest daughter was a pink haired girl with small bat-like wings.

"Who are you?" The little girl tugged on Nero's trench coat, his white hair and icy blue eyes caught her attention. "You look really cool!" She said in an excited tone, her cheeks tinged a light pink.

"Oh, it looks like Hanako's taken a liking to you." The three eyed woman chuckled at her daughter's behavior.

"The name's Nero…" He looked at the pink haired girl, though she was a demon, he still thought she was a cute little girl.

"Looks like Hanako has a crush!" The grey haired boy chuckled as he noticed the color of his sister's cheeks and her enthusiasm. "You're in love!"

"Taro, be nice to Hanako." The young red haired man said, he knew that anyone that teased His little sister was up for a bad beating, personally delivered by her.

"Yeah, Tardo!" Hanako smirked at Taro after calling him by his derogatory nickname. "Listen to Adell!" She then held onto Nero's left arm. "Mom, can Nero stay in my room with me?" She asked in an enthusiastic tone.

"That's out of the question." Their father spoke out; the thought of his kid daughter with a boy was rather unnerving to him. "I'm sure our guest is tired."

"You're a member of the Order of the Sword, right?" Adell asked Nero, the battle maniac was excited to be in the presence of such a strong fighter. "We should fight one day!" He raised his fist, challenging him to a friendly battle.

"Maybe later…I just had a fight this morning…" Nero yawned; the fight with the red-coated man and the long journey to Holt exhausted him greatly.

"The guest room is right beside Taro's" The three-eyed woman said to Nero with a smile on her face, she was glad that the rumors about Order members being arrogant snobs was false, at least in Nero's case. "We'll summon Overlord Zenon tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, Nero, Adell and Mom, were gathered in front of the house before a large pot where Dad, Taro and Hanako were.

"You know, I could just storm the castle and fight all the guards, I've had some missions like that before." Nero was unsure of the summoning ritual, magic was something he knew little about, but always seemed like a high risk factor to him.

"I agree with Nero's plan!" Adell raised his fist and entered a fighting stance. "Break into Overlord Zenon's castle and fight him fair and square!" The idea of fighting such a powerful opponent was firing him up.

"But we've searched everywhere and we couldn't find Overlord Zenon's castle." Mom lectured both Nero and Adell, time was running out and she didn't want to waste any of it with fruitless searches. "Besides we've already completed the summoning preparations." She looked into the pot. "Fried Dragon, Fairy Oil, the Shura Sword, Clown Shoes and a Wyrm Bone… it's all here." She gave them a confident smile. "Now we just need to sacrifice a little life energy to summon Zenon…I hope."

"Sounds insane…" Nero sighed, after hearing the names of the ingredients, Mom's plan was sounding more ridiculous by the second. "But, you're the expert."

Just as they spoke, Dad, Taro and Hanako stuck their heads out of the large pot.

"Honey, This summon just might kill us!" Dad said in a frightened tone, he had faith in his wife's abilities, but this ritual was quite dangerous, due to the nature of whom they wanted to summon.

"Yeah, Why ours?" Taro objected, the idea of having his life, even a little of it was frightening to him.

"I got this, you guys get out of that pot." Nero sighed as he broke the sling on his right arm and his Devil Bringer started to glow. "We're trying to summon and overlord, not make stew out of your family." He didn't like the idea of lives being used as part of a ritual; he had lost some friends to failed rituals performed by The Order in the past.

"He's right!" Adell smiled, confidently. "We shouldn't have to rely on such cheap tricks!" He was concerned for his family's wellbeing; Nero's offer was like a godsend in that situation.

"Yay!" Hanako jumped out of the pot, she was relieved that she didn't have to use any of her precious life energy. "Thanks, Nero!"

"I owe you one." Dad stepped out, he was glad he no longer had to play a part in his wife's crazy experiment.

"Thank you so much!" A terrified Taro climbed out of the pot, he had just gotten the scare of his life.

"Well, here goes nothing." Nero's Devil Bringer glowed brightly as a large phantom hand appeared beside it; he poured large amounts of demonic energy into the pot. "Now's a good time to start, you know?" He poured more demonic energy into the pot.

"That's perfect!" Mom smiled, the amount of energy produced from Nero's Devil Bringer was impressive, and she then took out a flute and channeled that energy into a magic seal. "By the spirits of darkness and light…by this boy's hand, by his power, I hereby summon Overlord Zenon to his side!" The magic seal glowed violently above the pot, as the ingredients melted into it, lighting struck it and an explosion of demonic energy erupted from it, but then nothing but silence followed. "Oh, what went wrong?" Mom said in a frustrated tone, she was sure Nero's demonic energy was enough.

"Well, that was a bust, why don't we try pulling him out of a hat next time?" Nero joked, part of him wanted to point out how useless these kinds of rituals were.

Just as Mom had given up, a large sphere of demonic energy appeared above them, with it came a seal shaped like a four-leafed clover, as the seal broke, a blonde girl in a regal black and red dress floated in the air where the seal was, without warning, the girl dropped down from the sky and fell right on top of Nero.

"Dammit!" Nero was on the ground, his face right under the blonde girl's chest. "What the hell happened?!" He was confused and annoyed by the chaos the ritual had caused.

"Where am I?" The blonde girl was confused, one minute, she was in her room reading, and before she knew it, she was summoned to a town.

Nero tired to speak but the blonde woman's sizeable breasts that were still planted on his face muffled his words.

"Ugh, you pervert!" The blonde girl blushed upon realizing where Nero's face was. "How dare you act this way before a princess!" She immediately stood up she was fuming with anger.

"Watch where you're landing!" Nero got up and rubbed his head, partaking in a summoning ritual and then suddenly finding himself in this kind of situation was too much to take in.

"It's…a girl?" Adell was shocked, he expected the terrible Overlord Zenon to make his appearance.

"Well, she sure is cute for an Overlord." Mom said as she observed the blonde girl's features, she was also surprised by the result of her ritual.

"Am I being punked?" Nero was still in shock he had expected a confrontation with Overlord Zenon, but instead, he almost suffocates to death under some girl's breasts. "Are there hidden cameras around here? There's no way she's Overlord Zenon!"

"Overlord Zenon?" The blonde girl looked at Nero, curious about how he knew him. "Do you know my father?" She pressed on, eager to find out.

"Father?!" Nero was shocked; he didn't think someone like the fearsome Overlord Zenon was even capable of fathering anyone, much less a beautiful girl. "You're that guy's daughter?!"

"That I am!" The blonde girl held her hand out and she wore an arrogant expression on her face, her lineage was something she took great pride in. "For I am Rozalin, the one and only daughter of Overlord Zenon!"

"Just because I'm some kind of knight…doesn't mean I need another princess." Nero sighed, he had planned to defeat Overlord Zenon and then track down the red-coated man to settle the score. "What's next? I have to go slay a dragon?"

"Wait a minute…" Rozalin took a closer look at Nero, his white hair, icy blue eyes and above all his Devil Bringer looked all too familiar to her. "N-Nero!?" She stared at him with an expression that can be best described as a child meeting with a friend they had just found again after years.

"How the hell do you know my name?" Nero was confused by Rozalin's sudden change in attitude and her knowing his name, adding yet another confusing event to process. "Lemme guess… I'm famous?" He said with sarcasm in his voice.

"Y-you don't remember me?" Rozalin glared at Nero, she was annoyed by his lack of memories, and judging from her reaction, they must have been important. "How could you forget about our promise!?"

"Look, I've seen these kinds of shows." Nero rubbed his chin, trying to assume a detective-like pose. "I'm the main character and my mysterious childhood friend, who I don't remember, finds me after all these years, right?" He sighed, this situation was getting out of hand for him.

"Exactly!" Rozalin was overjoyed, though she tried to maintain her noble demeanor. "You promised to be my knight, and to protect me forever!" She held that memory close to her for a while.

"Get real." Nero sighed, he started to think that Rozalin might have some screws loose in her head. "Those things don't happen in real life." He joked, thinking that this was all some elaborate prank.

"Y-you're the worst!" Rozalin walked up to Nero and gave him a very hard slap across the face; she was blushing with anger and a killer aura appeared behind her, it was so strong that an instinctive fear arose within him. "I-I even gave you my first kiss!"

"Well, looks like my luck is going down the drain." Nero scowled; he knew that after summoning Rozalin, his mission would be a lot more stressful than it had to be. "Looks like I did something really stupid before I got this arm." He looked at the Devil Bringer and sighed, dreading what the rest of the day had in store for him.

* * *

At a cheap hotel outside Holt Village, The red-coated man was eating pizza while lying down on the sofa, he was trying to relax after a long day of work, when suddenly, he heard a loud knock on the door.

"Dante!" A small red haired girl with a tail and wings knocked on his door, she seemed anxious about something.

"Oh, it's Etna." Dante smirked before geting up and answering the door, he wasn't used to seeing Etna in an anxious mood, and so something interesting must have happened.

"You were at Fortuna, right?" Etna asked, she seemed to be in a very excited mood, like she had just found something important to her.

"Lemme guess, you're after Vergil's Yamato, right?" Dante deadpanned, he knew the sword was obviously very important to Etna.

"Yes!" Etna smiled excitedly, the thought of obtaining Yamato made her very happy. "Once I get it, I'll have something to remember Vergil by!"

"So sentimental." Dante chuckled; he knew how much Vergil had meant to Etna. "By the way, I fought with an interesting kid today." He remembered his battle against Nero, and his uncanny resemblance to his late brother.

"Interesting kid?" Etna was puzzled by Dante's words, but since he had brought up the topic so close to their conversation about Yamato, she came up with one conclusion. "Y-you don't mean?!" She was shocked, if her suspicions were correct, the sword wouldn't be her only reason for going to Fortuna.

* * *

Author's note: The first chapter of the Nero arc is done! I made an effort to be more descriptive and I altered the structure a bit, I'll reedit the other Traitor's Bloodline chapters after this. Nero and Sapphire's childhood friendship is based on the fact that Nero's voice actor is Almaz's and Sapphire's is Kyrie's I gave subtle hints on the identity of Nero's mother, though it should be obvious by now, Next chapter, we find out how Rozalin knows Nero! Check out my poll and look forward to the Dante Arc!


	2. The Blue and Noble Rose

Devil May Cry, The Traitor's Bloodline, Nero Arc

Chapter two: The Blue and Noble Rose.

After Mom's failed summoning ritual, not Overlord Zenon, but his daughter, Rozalin was now standing before them, everyone was surprised, but not as surprised as Nero was, because Rozalin claims to know him.

"Lemme get this straight… I'm supposed to be your childhood friend, right?" Nero was already regretting his decision to take on this mission, he hadn't even started and already he had screwed up. "And I promised to protect you?" He asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, you are!" Rozalin glared daggers at Nero, being summoned from her home so suddenly was bad enough, but being forgotten by her childhood friend was infuriating. "But you left me for six years! How do you think that made me feel?!" She was on the verge of tears, but as a princess, she didn't want to show it. "Do you know how much nights I've cried myself to sleep?!"

"Looks like we have a heartbreaker here." Mom chuckled at Nero's predicament; it was obvious to her how Rozalin was feeling.

"So, Overlord Zenon has a daughter, you'd think we would have heard about something like that." Dad was quite shocked at the recent development; the news that Overlord Zenon had a daughter was quite the surprise.

"You're getting the wrong idea." Nero sighed, he hated dealing with these kinds of situations, to him, they were much more stressful than any job The Order could give. "Look, I don't remember anything from the month when I got this damn thing." He looked at the Devil Bringer; its origins still bothered him. "Drives me crazy."

"Girls can be really weird…" Adell saw the situation the Nero was in and he couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"Nero!" Hanako glared at him, hearing Rozalin say that she was his first kiss made her really jealous. "If you kissed her, you have to kiss me, too!"

"Not gonna happen." Nero deadpanned, he knew that his already hectic situation was worsening by the second, he wanted to leave, but he knew that doing so would come back to haunt him. "Besides, I'm not even sure I kissed this princess." He shrugged; Rozalin's claim was still too ridiculous for him to take seriously.

"H-how could you!?" Rozalin could barely contain her anger; Nero's inability to remember her, as well as his nonchalant attitude was too much for her to take. "How could you forget our kiss?!" The memory made her blush.

"Blame my right arm." Nero held out the Devil Bringer and showed it to Rozalin. "Like I said, the month where I got this thing is a huge blank space in my memory." He tried to calm her down with an explanation but to no avail.

"Aren't we forgetting something here?" Adell smiled nervously, the tension caused by Rozalin made him feel that with every word, he was getting ready to set off an emotional minefield. "We still have to beat Overlord Zenon!" He stated, finding the courage to speak.

"Do not interrupt me, commoner!" Rozalin shot an angry glare at Adell, she was in a very irritable state due to Nero's callous attitude.

"Whatever, toots." Adell sighed; he thought Rozalin's outburst was uncalled for but he decided let it slide.

"He's right." Nero pointed out, he was thankful to Adell for cutting the tension between him and Rozalin and helping them get back on the important topic of defeating Overlord Zenon. "I didn't come here for a heartwarming reunion." He said in a sarcastic voice.

"Now that we're together again." Rozalin crossed her arms and looked away; she was still angered by Nero's attitude and forgetfulness. "You better not leave me again, I still haven't forgiven you!"

"Whatever floats your boat." Nero sighed; he knew that arguing with Rozalin at this point would be a waste of time.

"What's your relationship with this princess?!" Hanako snapped at Nero, her crush on him and the things Rozalin had implied made her even more jealous.

"Childhood friends apparently." Nero replied to the jealous Hanako, but what he said next would make things worse for him. "Well, at least she's cute." He said as he noticed Rozalin's attractive features.

"C-cute?" Rozalin blushed, despite her noble demeanor, getting a compliment from Nero made her really happy, especially after being separated from him for so long.

"So, our little Order Knight is the childhood friend of Overlord Zenon's daughter?" Mom chuckled; the irony of Nero, a Holy Knight being the childhood friend of Rozalin, a demon princess was very amusing to her.

"How do we know if she really is really Overlord Zenon's daughter?" Taro questioned, hearing Rozalin's announcement wasn't enough to confirm her identity.

"He's got a point." Adell nodded, sharing Taro's suspicions. "Are you really Overlord Zenon's daughter?" He asked, wondering if Rozalin joking.

"Doesn't matter…" Nero shrugged, at this point he just wanted the mission to be over and done with as soon as possible. "I have a job to finish."

"You people really are deprived! Questioning my lineage, even after you've seen my noble visage." Rozalin was very annoyed by Adell and Taro's doubts and Nero's indifference.

"Yeah, yeah just answer the question." Adell didn't really like Rozalin's snobby attitude, he was more interested in his question being answered.

"Fine, my heart is as broad as the night sky." Rozalin smiled proudly, eager to show off her lineage, hoping that Nero would remember her. "Now, behold my undeniable proof!" She cast a magic symbol in the shape of a four-leaf clover. "Surely you must recognize the emblem of the four-leaf clover!" She exclaimed in a prideful manner.

"Oh?!" Dad was amazed; he immediately recognized the symbol's importance. "That four-leaf clover is..!"

"The symbol of Overlord Zenon…?!" Mom was very shocked, she now believed Rozalin's claim, but it was still surprising news to her.

"Indeed, you are not as ignorant as your garb and demeanor suggest. This emblem is the ultimate proof of my heritage, it is the bond between our souls as father and daughter." Rozalin smiled proudly, she was glad that she was recognized as Overlord Zenon's only daughter, something she took great pride in. "See that, Nero? Do you remember your princess now?" She looked at him, hoping that her emblem would bring back his memories of her.

"No, still doesn't ring a bell." Nero was getting bored, he signed up for a demon-hunting mission, yet he felt he was dragged into a soap opera. "Besides, I already have a princess…and she's terrifying." He shuddered upon remembering Sapphire's violent tendencies; not knowing that mentioning another princess in front of Rozalin would unleash something equally terrifying.

"A-another princes?!" Rozalin was jealous and enraged; the fact that Nero had another princess was like an unforgiveable betrayal to her. "How dare you?! I should be your only princess! You're my knight and no one else's!" She approached Nero and hugged his Devil Bringer tightly.

"Looks like Overlord Zenon's daughter is in love with you." Mom chuckled at Nero's predicament; it took her mind off her failure to summon Overlord Zenon. "Looks like Hanako has some competition." She teased her now infuriated daughter.

"Mom!" Hanako blushed angrily, she was still jealous of Rozalin's apparent closeness to Nero. "I shouldn't even have competition!"

"I doubt that." Nero struggled against Rozalin's firm grip on his Devil Bringer. "I don't really have a loveable personality, and I'm not up for the stress." He blushed a little; he tried to hide his embarrassment.

"N-no!" Rozalin blushed at Mom's comment, obvious to everyone but herself, Mom was indeed right in her comment, but Rozalin didn't want to show it. "As a princess, I cannot let my knight serve anyone else!" She balled up her fists in anger. "Nero belongs to me!"

"Girls are much harder than tough opponents, right Nero?" Adell felt sorry for him, seeing a Holy Knight in such an embarrassing position was quite sad for him.

"Tell me about it…" Nero sighed, but suddenly an idea popped up in his head. "Maybe she can lead us to Overlord Zenon…" He thought to himself, thinking that maybe his current situation was still salvageable. "You think you can take me to your father?" He took his chances and asked Rozalin.

"If I take Nero to my father, he'll have no choice but to be mine and mine alone." Rozalin thought to herself, the thought of his other princess still bothering her. "He'll never think of that other princess ever again!" She smiled, confident that her plan will work.

"She is bound to you until you defeat Overlord Zenon" Mom nodded, seeing the logic behind Nero's request. "Those are the summoning conditions." She blushed and smiled, remembering her younger days. "It's quite romantic."

"Say what?" Nero couldn't believe his ears, the thought of being bound to Rozalin wasn't a very pleasant one. "Did you say bound?" He sighed, annoyed at his current situation. "Damn…"

"Fine, I shall take you to my father." Rozalin smiled proudly as she prepared to start her plan to have Nero all to herself. "I want Father to meet my knight."

"Well… I can't really argue with that, alright Princess, you have a deal." Nero was glad that his plan had worked, but he dreaded having to spend so much time with Rozalin, but part of him was happy.

"Then it is decided!" Rozalin was overjoyed by Nero's cooperation and the opportunity to get closer to him. "I will take you to my father!" She tried to hide her joy behind her noble demeanor. "But first, I have to get your memories back." She thought to herself. "You have to remember our time together…"

"But after I beat him, we'll go our separate ways, alright?" Nero said in a bored tone, he was eager to defeat Overlord Zenon and the red-coated man. "I have a score to settle."

"As if you stand a chance against my father!" Rozalin crossed her arms and looked away. "When father defeats Nero, there's no way he will ever leave me again." She thought to herself, happy that her plan was going so smoothly. "It's perfect!" She thought to herself, fantasizing about the results.

"Well, I'll give it a shot." Nero was relieved that he had a lead on Overlord Zenon's location, unaware of Rozalin's devious plan. "Maybe beating him will fix my damn arm." He thought of the curse, thinking that his Devil Bringer was a result of it.

"I'll come with you guys." Adell smiled, eager to prove himself to a Holy Knight. "I'll show you that I'm order material!" He was excited, seeing this as the perfect chance to join The Order.

"Sure, why not?" Nero didn't see any problem with letting Adell tag along, even though it went against his preference of working alone, it also guaranteed that he wouldn't be stuck alone with Rozalin. "You know your way around here better than I do."

"Absolutely not!" Rozalin objected. Having Adell travel with them would get in the way of her plan. "I will not let anyone get in the way of my time alone with Nero!" She then blushed, realizing what she had just said.

"Look, this isn't some honeymoon trip." Nero sighed, he found Rozalin's clingy attitude to be a bit unnerving, considering the fact that he had just met her. "I don't really want to be here."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight!" Rozalin grabbed Nero's arm with a vice-like grip, she didn't want him to disappear on her again. "You're my knight!"

"I got it already!' Nero was very annoyed, he wanted this mission done and over with as soon as possible.

"Well, we have to talk to Friday, she can take us wherever we need to go." Adell pointed at a flat-chested blonde girl with blue eyes and curls. "She's a dimension guide and she can warp us anywhere.

"Can she take us straight to the castle?" Nero asked, hoping that he had found a shortcut. "That would save us allot of trouble."

"She can only take us to places she knows about, even then we have to discover parts of it on our own, she's been to Fortuna, so she can take us there, too." Adell sighed; he too wanted a quick way to the castle. "So we still need to rely on the Princess."

"Great." Nero replied in a sarcastic tone as he rolled his eyes, his hopes of finishing the mission quickly were just dashed.

"Next up, is the Dark Assembly, there we can hire help, unlock new areas and more expensive shop items and even get more money." Adell pointed at the assembly officer.

"Well, let's go." Nero walked towards Friday. "Overlord Zenon's not gonna kill himself." He thought of Rozalin and sighed. "Though with a daughter like that…I'm surprised he didn't."

"Right!" Adell raised his fists, excited to start their journey. "Just you watch Nero! I'll show you that I can join The Order!"

"Where can I take you today?" Friday asked, she was used to Adell, but Nero and Rozalin were new to her, she then compared her bust size to Rozalin's, their sheer size difference depressed her and made her tear up.

"The town field is a good place to start, don't you think?" Adell smiled and bumped his fists together, eager to start their journey.

"Good thinking." Nero agreed with Adell's suggestion, familiarizing himself with the area was a wise move. "We'll check out our surroundings."

"Alright." Friday directed Nero, Rozalin and Adell to a blue portal behind her. "Go through this portal." She pointed at it. "I will have it take you to your destination."

* * *

Nero, Adell and Rozalin stepped through the portal and ended up on the Town fields, when they got there, they saw three blue penguin-like creatures with wings, peg legs and pouches.

"What the hell are those things?" Nero looked at the strange creatures before him. "They look familiar…" He felt a strange connection to them, as if he had known these kinds of creatures.

"Those are Prinnies." Adell pointed out, he recognized them as low class demons. "They aren't a big threat, think you can keep up, toots?" Adell gestured at Rozalin, knowing that among the three of them, she's probably had the least fighting experience.

"As a princess, I've never had to fight a battle in my entire life!" Rozalin crossed her arms and looked away. "I leave things like that to my servants." She exclaimed, once again, proud to mention her noble status.

"Looks like the Holy Knight has to protect the princess." Nero joked, not knowing the consequences of his comment. "I never liked fairy tales." He took out Red Queen and performed "Exceed" revving its handle and spraying a flammable liquid over its blade, setting it ablaze.

"You admitted it!" Rozalin blushed, she was happy that Nero said that he would protect her, unaware that he was just joking.

"Dood! It's Master Vergil!" One of the Prinnies was shocked after noticing Nero's white hair and blue eyes, as well as his familiar demonic aura. "Master Etna will be so pleased dood!"

"My name's not Vergil." Nero was confused at what the Prinny had said. "Did someone hit your head?" He smirked, taking out Blue Rose. "I don't know why, but I'm gonna have more fun than I should kicking your tail feathers!" A sadistic grin appeared on his face.

"This guy has Master Etna's scary smile, dood!" The second Prinny was terrified, seeing their cruel master's trademark smile on Nero was very intimidating.

"Better move those happy feet of yours!" Nero shot at the Prinnies, still wearing that sadistic grin that they came to fear.

"Let's kick some ass!" Adell raised his fists, excited for the upcoming battle. "I'll beat you fair and square!" He smiled, getting ready to fight. "Because that's my style!"

"This is bad, dood!" The last Prinny was shaking in fear from Nero's sadistic grin. "Wait… maybe this guy is Master Etna and Master Vergil's…" He was very shocked, but a sense of excitement replaced his fear. "Dood! If we bring him to her, Master Etna will reward us, dood!"

"You're right, dood!" The first Prinny was excited, thinking about the rewards Etna might give. "You're coming with us, dood!" All the Prinnies took out two machetes. "Try to beat us, dood!" Each of them threw a red, green and yellow pyramid on the ground beside Nero, Rozalin and Adell, dying the ground in their respective colors.

"I'll pass." Nero sighed, as the ground under him was dyed green; he was both annoyed and confused at the Prinnies and their weird antics. "Antarctica's way too cold for me." He raised Red Queen, but was unable to hit them, he felt as if the ground below him prevented him from attacking. "What the hell?"

"Those guys used Geo Symbols!" Adell yelled out to Nero, unable to cross the red part of the ground. "You're standing on the "no close combat" zone, and I'm behind the no "entry" zone!" He was really annoyed at the cheap trick the Prinnies were using. "And they're standing on the "boost" zone!"

"I've read about them from my textbooks." Rozalin observed the Geo Symbols and compared them to the descriptions she had read. "You just need to break them."

"You're ours now, dood!" The Prinnies performed "Prinny Barrage, throwing several machetes at Nero. "We're gonna win, dood!" The first one said in a triumphant tone, excited for their possible reward.

"Don't bet on it!" Nero smirked and extended his Devil Bringer and performed "Buster" grabbing the machetes and hurling them back at the Prinnies. "Shall we dance?" He bowed mockingly at the injured Prinnies.

"You haven't seen the last of us, dood!" The second Prinny took a large bomb out of its pouch and he threw it at Rozalin to distract Nero, fleeing in the confusion.

"Crash!" Nero stood in performed "Streak" gliding his feet across the ground, and swinging Red Queen and generating a razor wind, slashing the Geo Symbols, causing the colored ground to burst. "Not so fast!" He performed "Buster" Grabbing the bomb with the Devil Bringer's phantom arm, he then crushed it, setting off the explosion.

"You saved me…" Rozalin stared at Nero, she was glad that he had protected her. "You really are my knight!" Without knowing it, she smiled.

"Wow! That was so cool!" An awed Adell smiled excitedly, amazed at Nero's fighting strength. "I can't wait to join The Order!"

"Let's go home." Nero sighed, still thinking about what the Prinnies had said. "I have to get those mutant penguins outta my mind." He was bothered by the name they had just called him, it sounded familiar to him, yet very distant.

* * *

Later that night, Nero was asleep in his room; he was having a strange dream about his childhood with Rozalin where they were in a garden full of flowers with a large stone slab with a green crack running down it.

"I love you, Nero!" Rozalin had a very cheerful smile on her face, she was glad to see him and she had felt really close to him. "Please be my knight forever!" She hugged his arm tightly and her cheeks were tinged a light pink.

"I love you too, Rozie." Nero smiled back at her, he was very happy to be by her side. "I'll always be your knight in shining armor!" He hugged her.

"Th-then…" Rozalin blushed, she was a little nervous, but happy at the same time. "Give your princess her first kiss…" She closed her eyes leaned forward, readying herself for a kiss.

"Rozie…" Nero was blushing nervously, he was shocked by her sudden request, but he obliged, leaning forward and kissing her lips.

* * *

Suddenly everything went black and Nero saw the ghostly figure of a man with slicked back white hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue trench coat and carrying a white hilted O-Katana, he wore a cold yet kind expression.

"Do you want to protect her?" The blue-coated man asked, as if to test Nero's determination. "Do you want to save the one you love?

"Yes…" Nero answered, he thought of Rozalin and he looked at the blue-coated man. "More than anything!" He said in a determined tone, protecting her was what he wanted most at the moment.

"Then you need more power…" The blue-coated man raised his right hand and a powerful demonic aura appeared behind him and it entered Nero's body. "Might controls everything… and without strength…you can never protect anything."

"Anything…to protect her!" Nero pictured Rozalin in his mind and he yelled in pain as the demonic power entered his body, he could feel his physical features changing, his eyes glowed black and red and veins appeared on his face and his hands turned into claws.

Nero woke up from his dream; he was shocked and frightened by what he had just seen, especially his vision of the blue-coated man turning him into a demon and Rozalin's appearance.

"What the hell was that…?" Nero thought to himself, the memory of his dream still fresh in his mind. "What was Rozalin doing in my dreams…and who the hell was that guy?" He thought of the blue-coated man.

* * *

Author's note: Chapter two is done! Rozalin is not happy at all about Nero forgetting about her! Nero, Rozalin and Adell have their first battle, and the Prinnies mistake Nero for Vergil! Nero remembers some of his past with Rozalin, only to be interrupted by yet another vision! Next chapter, Nero fights against Axel the Dark Hero and the Prinnies report to Etna, we also see some of Dante's activities and a conversation between Credo and Sapphire! Also, Adell will have a new love interest! See you on the next chapter!

Now to answer my reviewers,

Reishin Amara

Thanks! I'll try to make this story even better!

Zero-Nightmare

Thanks!

Nero's luck with her will only get worse when Sapphire finds out about Rozalin!

What's a crazy party without Dante?

And Rozalin wasn't too happy about Nero knowing Sapphire! Poor Rozalin was so close to crying!

Thanks! I'll try my best!


	3. The Dark Hero and Dante's odd jobs

Devil May Cry, The Traitor's Bloodline, Nero Arc

Chapter three: The Dark Hero and Dante's odd jobs.

At a castle located in the heart of Veldime, an imposing blonde man dressed in a regal black suit with a cape adorned with bone was hearing a report from a Masked Man in blue.

"Overlord Zenon, my master." The Masked Man bowed respectfully to his lord. "I have just received urgent news from the princess' mansion…" He reported with a sense of urgency in his voice. "The princess has…disappeared, and it has happened in front of many servants."

"What…? It this true?" Overlord Zenon was shocked and enraged at the incompetence of his servants and the fact that Rozalin was missing.

"…It appears someone has summoned her, someone with decent summoning skill." A Masked Woman in purple appeared before Overlord Zenon and the masked man, she reported the situation in a calm tone, despite seeing his rage.

"But, who…?" Overlord Zenon was shocked that someone had managed to summon Rozalin from her mansion. "How did they even know about the princess…?"

"…We do not know yet." The Masked Woman kept her calm demeanor, despite seeing how worked up Overlord Zenon was getting. "But one of the servants, Echidna, said that she had sensed Sparda's power."

"Find the princess…immediately!" Overlord Zenon was enraged; the thought of Rozalin being summoned was an outrage. "You must not allow her to be contaminated by the outside world!" He said in an angered tone, the name Sparda sent chills down his spine. "We must act quickly if Echidna is to be believed!"

"Yes, sir." The Masked Woman bowed in respect to Overlord Zenon, ready to carry out his orders. "We will be sure to keep the princess a secret from everyone else."

"…What shall you have us do to the guards at her mansion…?" The Masked Man asked; he sensed that Overlord Zenon was infuriated at their incompetence.

"Wipe them out." Overlord Zenon wanted to punish the guards for their incompetence, holding them responsible. "All of them!"

"…As you wish, my master…" The Masked Man bowed before leaving to carry out Overlord Zenon's brutal orders, The Masked Woman followed him, but she was unsure of the massacre.

* * *

A sore eyed Nero had just woken up; his dream about Rozalin and the blue-coated man was still fresh in his mind, the nature of his dream had kept him up very late; having had only two hours of sleep, he was exhausted, After taking a shower and getting dressed, he met Adell and Rozalin outside the house.

"Dammit…" Nero sighed, the lack of sleep had him feeling really drained. "I have the worst headache." He rubbed his head, still feeling very tired.

"Woah!" Adell saw how drained and tired Nero looked, he was shocked to see a Holy Knight in such a state. "What's eating you?"

"You look ghastly!" Rozalin was shocked at the state Nero was in; he looked like he could pass out at any moment. "Are you alright?!" She asked, concerned about his health.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Nero scratched his head, trying to get a grasp the on the events of the previous night. "Some weird dream just kept me up." He sighed; the thought of his dream still confused him.

"Weird dream?" Rozalin looked at Nero, she was curious about the nature the dream that had kept him up so late. "What do you mean?" She wondered if his dream had meant anything.

"I-It's nothing!" Nero was flustered, he remembered kissing Rozalin in his dream and seeing her made him blush. "Let's hit the road!" He tried walked over to Friday, hoping that they would just drop the subject.

"Nero!" Rozalin gave him a very suspicious look; she noticed how flustered he was at the subject of his dream. "Were you dreaming about that other princess?!" She glared at him with a jealous expression. "I will not allow my knight to have such vulgar fantasies!"

"Well, you're right about the princess part." Nero sighed; he was still wondering why Rozalin was in his dream, and why they had kissed. "What the hell were you doing? Asking me to kiss you in my dream?"

"N-Nero!" Rozalin blushed; she was very surprised that he had dreamt about her. "A-are you finally remembering our first kiss?!" Her face lit up with joy, she was very hopeful that he was recovering his memories of her.

"I think the stress of this mission is really messing up my head." Nero let out a bored sigh; he was unnerved by Rozalin's reaction to his dream. "I don't think that's a memory."

"I don't know." Adell said, thinking that Nero's dream and Rozalin's reaction to it was too precise to be a coincidence. "Dreams sometimes play our memories back to us." He nodded, confident in his theory. "Maybe your dream was a memory."

"You're not helping…" Nero was annoyed by Adell's theory, he saw the logic behind it, but he refused to admit that he kissed Rozalin when they were kids. "No way I kissed her!"

"You did!" Rozalin was still blushing angrily; she couldn't believe that Nero was denying an important memory for her. "Your dream is undeniable proof!"

"Proof that I have night terrors?" Nero joked, trying to lighten up the mood, unknowingly worsening it. "Why do I always say the wrong things?" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he realized what he had just said to the already angry Rozalin.

"Yeah." Adell laughed at Nero's remark about his dream about Rozalin. "Kissing someone like this princess must be scary as hell!" He realized that he too was dragged into Nero's dire situation.

"So it was a nightmare to you?!" Rozalin glared at Nero, a killer aura emanated from her as she approached him. "Kissing me is scary to you…" Her killer aura got stronger, so strong that both Adell and Nero were frightened. "Me, your princess…" She took out a small red pistol with a white handle and gold markings. "Maybe a shot from my Noble Rose will change your mind!"

"Nero, it's been an honor fighting by your side." Adell, still terrified of Rozalin's killer aura. "May we continue testing our strength on the other side!" He backed away slowly.

"Even though we've only fought those dumb looking penguin things." Nero backed away in fear of Rozalin's killer aura and her clear rage towards him. "You were one hell of a friend!" He prepared to run away. "Heaven or Hell, we'll get out of this alive!" He ran away from Rozalin.

"We're gonna live!" After hearing Nero's speech, a determined yet terrified Adell ran with Nero. "We'll live to see tomorrow!" He ran faster, trying to get as far as possible.

"Get back here!" Rozalin shot at both Nero and Adell , Nero calling the most intimate moment of their childhood a nightmare enraged her to no end, her killer aura was so intense that it was felt even far away.

* * *

Dante was eating a strawberry sundae at his hotel room at the edge of Holt Vilage, when he felt Rozalin's killer aura.

"Man, someone's in the dog house." He recognized that aura as a woman's fury, something that even he feared. "I feel sorry for the poor bastard." He took a bite out of his sundae, thinking about his own problems with women. "Thank God I'm outta that crazy school." He remembered his school days.

* * *

At the Order of the Sword base located in Mitis Forest, Credo and Sapphire were discussing Nero's mission.

"Is Nero ok?" Sapphire pouted, she hated having to wait so long for him to return. "I really want to tell him that he's my knight." She looked very anxious, she's been holding in her excitement since he had left. "What's taking him so long?"

"A mission that important would take a week to a month to complete." Credo stated, he was confident that Nero would complete his mission, but at the same time, concerned about the damage he might cause. "I've ordered our new recruit, Gloria, to keep an eye on him and to make sure he doesn't accidentally destroy Holt Village."

"Can't you let me go there and help him?" Sapphire stood up, hearing how long Nero's mission would take added to her growing impatience. "I'm strong enough to defeat even an overlord!" She objected, remembering her training and her strong abilities.

"The people of Fortuna City need to know that you're safe." Credo tried to calm the impatient Sapphire down, thinking about the consequences of letting her go. "If you were in any danger, the people would panic, and mass riots could break out."

"Fine!" Sapphire was angry that she couldn't go to Nero, but she knew her place as the princess. "You better tell him to hurry back!"

"As you wish." Credo sighed as he gave in to Sapphires demands, he didn't know why she was so fixated on him.

* * *

Nero and Adell were running away from the enraged Rozalin, both of them, terrified of her, they eventually hid behind a large tree.

"Nero, you have to do something!" Adell panicked, hoping that he could find a solution to their terrifying predicament.

"Fine." Nero sighed as he left his hiding place, determined to end Rozalin's rampage. "You owe me for this."

"Nero!" Rozalin spotted him and glared daggers at him. "How dare you run away from me like that?" She was very angry at him for his actions.

"Sorry about that." Nero walked up to Rozalin and gave her a hug. "I was just messing with you." He sighed, he didn't think his joke would cause this big of a mess.

"That wasn't funny." Rozalin blushed as she hugged Nero back, she was on the verge of tears, and the fact that he would joke about such an important memory was very hurtful to her.

"To tell you the truth…" Nero blushed a small bit as he hugged Rozalin and recalled the events of his dream. "It kind of felt right…" He smiled at her, remembering the same kind face he saw in his dream.

"Oh, Nero." Rozalin blushed a deep red and she smiled with tears in her eyes. "You don't know how happy that makes me." She hugged him tighter. "My knight remembers our first kiss."

"I never said anything about remembering." Nero sighed, still doubting that his dream was a childhood memory. "I just said I didn't really hate my dream." He wiped Rozalin's tears away.

"I know you'll remember soon…" Rozalin thought to herself as she rested her head against Nero's chest. "I'll make you remember me!" She blushed at the thought of him being completely hers. "And you'll never leave me again."

"Why do I feel like I've just screwed myself over?" Nero thought to himself, he had a bad feeling in his gut; he felt that because of his current actions, his mission would be far more complicated.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Adell called out to Nero and Rozalin, he was glad that the situation was resolved, but he was eager to defeat Overlord Zenon. "Don't we have a curse to break?"

"W-we're not like that!" Nero blushed a little and let go of Rozalin, hoping they could get back to the mission at hand. "Yeah, let's beat Overlord Zenon and the red-coated man!" He remembered his fight with Dante, eager to settle the score.

"Th-that's right!" Rozalin blushed and pushed Nero away; she was embarrassed by the position they were in, despite enjoying it. "H-he's just my knight!" She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Yeah, right… you two can't be any more obvious!" Adell thought to himself, seeing the blushes on both Nero and Rozalin's faces. "Right! Let's kick some Overlord ass!" He exclaimed in an excited tone as he entered a fighting stance.

"Where can I take you now?" Friday asked, she was still a little frightened by Rozalin's outburst, but seeing how Nero fixed the situation was quite touching to her. "Somewhere romantic?"

"We're not like that!" Nero and Rozalin said in unison, both of them blushing, embarrassed by both Adell and Friday's comments.

* * *

Nero, Rozalin and Adell stepped into the portal and ended up back at the town fields, there, they saw a blonde man in a white coat making all sorts of ridiculous movements.

"…We've ventured into the frontiers of Veldime, in search for a vicious hero that was spotted in the area…" The blonde man was making all sorts of hand gestures and speaking in a very dramatic tone. "Wait! What's this? I can't believe it!" He back flipped, avoiding a non-existent attack. "Look out! It's an invisible laser!" He jumped again, this time punching at the air. "Did you see that?!"

"Cut!" A heavyset bearded man with brown hair wearing a director's outfit, followed by his camera crew, called out to the blonde man, unsatisfied with his performance. "Axel, darling! How many times do we have to go over this?! This is for the Travelling Channel!" He said in an annoyed tone, he didn't like the fact that he was deviating from the script. "We don't need action scenes for this travel show! So, stop making up traps and enemies!" The camara crew behind him, comprised of a zombie, a ghost and an orc all agreed.

"But, I'm the host!" Axel smiled, thinking that his ridiculous antics would improve the travel show they were shooting, unaware of how pointless his efforts were.

"Axel, Axel, Axel… No one expects anything from you anymore!" The director chuckled, thinking that his antics have gotten more amusing than annoying. "There was a time when you were lighting up the stage as the Dark Hero, but that time is long gone!"

"Who are they?" Adell asked, he was curious about the identities of the strange group in front of them.

"Looks like some bad daytime action flick." Nero noticed Axel's body language and sighed at how ridiculous he looked.

"Whoever they are, they have a very poor taste in fashion." Rozalin looked at Axel's attire and noted on how tacky it was. "I suppose washed up celebrities have to get attention somehow…"

"Do my eyes deceive me?!" Axel noticed Nero's white hair and blue eyes, he was shocked and amazed at who he resembled. "It's Dante the Devil Hunter!"

"What?" Nero gave Axel an annoyed look; he didn't know why he was calling him by a different name. "First the Prinnies and now you?" He sighed. "My name's not Vergil or Dante! It's Nero dammit!" He revved and took out Red Queen.

"Well, the camera is rolling!" Axel smiled, seeing Nero's appearance as his ticket back to stardom. "And you look just like Dante!" He entered a fighting stance, excited for his big break. "When I beat you, everyone will think I defeated the great Devil Hunter himself!"

"He's crafty, I'll give him that." Adell sighed, he pitied Axel for his has-been personality and knowing Nero, all of the injuries he'll get.

"Just don't hit my face!" Axel prepared to fight Nero, not knowing that he was a Holy Knight. "I have to look good when I kick your ass!"

"Looks like I'll have to beat some style into you." Nero smirked as he summoned a phantom hand extension out of the Devil Bringer, grabbing Axel by the waist. "You celebrity types are all the same." He pounded Axel onto the ground several times. "At least this way, you'll be more down to Earth."

"Is it over already?" Adell sighed, disappointed that he couldn't show off his skills and fight. "That sucks, I wanted to beat the crap outta him!"

"He talked big, but he was no match for my knight." Rozalin smiled proudly, she was glad that Nero had defeated Axel so easily. "I don't pick just anyone for that position."

"That really hurt!" Axel cried out, he was writhing in pain on the ground. "Dammit! Nero, was it?" He pointed his finger at him, still trying to maintain a confident appearance. "Looks like The Dark Hero's met his rival!"

"Hit the road." Nero deadpanned as he took out Blue Rose and shot the ground beside Axel. "I don't want to make you look bad in front of all ten of your fans." He joked, thinking that with his attitude, his fan base must be pretty small.

"We'll settle this later! The Dark Hero will prevail!" A laughing Axel ran off with the camera crew, confident that his little brawl with Nero would get him back on the road to stardom.

"Well, that was a waste of time…" Nero sighed, the memory of Axel's speeches was enough to give him a headache. "At least we can relax for the rest of the day."

"You can tell Taro and Hanako all about this." Adell smiled, he was glad that at least the story of Axel's failure would entertain his siblings. "I'm sure they'll find this funny!"

"Yeah." Nero smiled, he was glad that he had befriended Adell's family, the feeling of family was something he liked. "I bet they will."

"I want to save them, Nero." Adell looked down, he lamented at the demonized state of his family. "Before this curse gets stronger."

"Well, that's why The Order sent me here." Nero reassured Adell, he too wanted to save the citizens of Veldime, as well as the ones that were cursed in Fortuna. "Let's beat Overlord Zenon and break this curse!"

"That determination…" Rozalin thought to herself and she looked down sadly. "Why couldn't Nero be like that when it comes to our promise?" She was saddened by the fact that he had forgotten her. "Why? Why did he have to forget about me!?" She wore a very sad and angered expression.

* * *

Dante was getting ready to leave his hotel room to meet with Etna; he was told that he had a new job waiting for him.

"Two jobs at the same time?" Dante smirked, confident in his abilities. "Looks like I hit the jackpot!" He was excited about all the money he was going to make.

"Took you long enough." Etna stood there with an annoyed look on her face; she got bored waiting for him. "Anyway, there's a really nice job for you, and it pays 10,000000 HL."

"Sounds good." Dante smirked; hearing how high paying his new job was really made his day. "So, what's the deal, a rogue Overlord? Or maybe just an infestation problem?"

"You're going to be a teacher." Etna giggled, she knew that Dante wouldn't react well to the nature of his job. "At the Evil Academy!"

"You're kidding?!" Dante stood up; the very mention of the Evil Academy brought back many stressful memories. "Looks like this job's gonna kill me." He sighed, he dreaded having to return to that school. "Well, I can't pass up that kind of money, now can I?"

"I knew you'd say that." Etna smirked, she knew all about Dante's past at the Evil Academy. "Just leave this whole Fortuna thing to me." She thought about Yamato and the news Dante had brought her about Nero.

"No can do." Dante deadpanned, he knew that something was afoot in Fortuna City and he couldn't ignore it. "I'll take both jobs, this is kind of a family matter." He remembered Nero's resemblance to Vergil. "Same with you, right?"

Just as Dante and Etna spoke, a group of Prinnies approached Etna; they looked both frightened and excited.

"Master Etna!" one of the Prinnies said, he was very anxious to get his message through to Etna. "We found someone you might be interested in, dood!"

"Well, spit it out already!" Etna was annoyed, she didn't like having her time wasted by the Prinnies. "I don't have all day!"

"We found a boy that looks just like Master Vergil, dood!" The Prinny told Etna, waiting to see what kind of reaction she would have to the news.

"What!?" Etna's eyes widened, the mention of Vergil's name caught her attention. "Are you sure?! You better not be lying!" She took a knife out.

"I-I'm sure, dood!" The Prinny was frightened upon seeing Etna holding a knife, but he pressed on. "And that's not all, dood! That boy had the same smile as yours, dood!"

"C-Could that be?!" Etna was shocked, hearing Nero's description really caught her off guard. "Me and Vergil's…" She stepped back as tears started to well in her eyes.

"Yeah, it's that kid alright." Dante deadpanned. He remembered his fight with Nero the previous day. "He's got that same look on his face as Vergil's."

"Our baby…" Etna smiled as she cried, hearing the news about Nero filled her with an overwhelming sense of joy.

"Well, I'm off to my old school." Dante smiled and left Etna alone with her thought about Nero and Vergil. "I hope they don't remember all the crazy things I did there!"

* * *

Author's note: Chapter three is done! Nero tells Rozalin about his dream, but angers her when he describes it as a nightmare and both he and Adell suffer the consequences, Axel gets taken down quite easily and Nero and Rozalin have a moment and Sapphire is getting impatient, much to Credo's concern. Etna is glad to heart that her son is alive and Dante heads off to the Evil Academy! Next chapter might be a Dante chapter! And the chapter after that, Nero faces off against Berial and the group heads to Rozalin's mansion! Suggest your bills for the Dark Assembly story in your reviews and don't forget to vote in the poll!

Now to answer my reviewers,

Reishin Amara

I hope you enjoy it!

Demons Parade

Thanks! And Nero will receive Yamato the same way, but with some added twists with Etna and Rozalin!

Exalted Demi-Soul

Thanks! Nero has to have gotten his attitude from somewhere, right? And it really gives so much potential for anyone who writes about Nero! I hope you liked this chapter!

Zero-Nightmare

Thanks!

Indeed, she is, expect her to try extra hard to get Nero's memories back!

Hanako will not like meeting Sapphire and neither will Rozalin.

Just like bros!

Thanks! The Prinnies are really in for a scare!

His father's ghost!

Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter!


	4. Demons, Angels and Malice

Devil May Cry, The Traitor's Bloodline, Nephilim Arc Trailer

Preview Chapter: Demons, Angels and Malice

Dante, Vergil and Nero, were all seated on the couch in front of the television, awaiting the trailer of the new story arc.

"I wonder what this new story arc is about?" Nero asked, he was curious about what the trailer would show.

"It's supposedly set in another Netherworld." Vergil sighed; he knew this would cut in heavily on his screen time. "How bothersome…"

"Whatever, I'm so gonna steal the spotlight anyway!" Dante laughed, he knew that one way or another, he'd have a role to play.

"It's starting!" Nero kept his gaze fixed on the television, eager for the trailer to start.

* * *

(Insert ONE OK ROCK Nothing Helps)

At park with a swingset and several murals depicting Angels and Demons, a black haired and black-coated Dante and a white haired and black-coated Vergil were discussing their Heritage.

"Some things have always been, there have always been angels, there have always been demons, and they've always been at war." Vergil pointed to a mural depicting a bloody war, shedding light on the history of the two warring races.

"And we're the offspring of Angels and Demons." Dante took in what Vergil had said; he then turned his attention to mural of Sparda and Eva kissing.

"Demon father, Angel mother." Vergil said, telling Dante about their dual heritage. "We are Nephilim, a hybrid of Angel and Demon." He walked to a mural of a half of a demon and half of an angel, both of halves forming the body of one being. "Revolution is in the air."

* * *

The scene changes to Dante, standing on the roof of a building as he is dragged into Limbo and Malice transforms the city into a twisted dimension and several Malice Demons that took the forms of a Warrior, a Baciel and a Majin appeared.

"Let's dance!" Dante smirked as his Rebellion sword materialized on his back, he then jumped from the building and transformed Rebellion into the Demon Axe Arbiter and slammed it onto the ground, creating a demonic shockwave, sending the demons flying, he then transformed Rebellion into Ophion, pulling himself up to the Baciel assaulting it with several slashes with Rebellion, he then transformed it into the Angel Scythe Osiris as he landed, shredding the Warrior into pieces. He then performed "Prop Shredder", spinning Osiris around at a high speed juggling the Majin into the air; he then took his Ebony and Ivory handguns and shot holes through it.

* * *

Several more Malice demons appeared, this time taking the forms of a Tyrant, a Stygian and a Harpy, each of them ready to attack Dante.

"You don't have to fight them alone." Vergil's voice echoed as Dante got ready to fight the Malice Demons. Suddenly, Valvatorez, Fenrich, Fuka, Emizel, Desco and Vulcanus entered the battlefield, much to Dante's shock.

Valvatorez performed "Impaler Prince" transforming into a flock of bats, leaving two rows of razor sharp fangs that bit into three of the Stygians, impaling them.

Fenrich smirked and charged at one of the Stygians at a high speed, assaulting it with a barrage of lightning fast punches.

Fuka bashed in the head of one of the Stygians with her bat, and then with a loud cracking noise, it fell to the ground in a pool of its inky black blood.

Emizel stabbed his scythe into a Stygian; he then frantically tried to pull it out, but ended up hurling the demon at the wall behind him.

Desco wrapped one of her tentacles around two of the Harpies and constricted them to death.

Vulcanus shot down one of Harpies with her bow, pining it onto the wall, she then shot another arrow and hit it between the eyes.

"Looks like my party's getting crazy!" Dante smirked at the group as he approached the Tyrant with Rebellion in hand.

Before Dante could reach the Tyrant, Vergil, wearing a silver mask with a toothy grin, performed "Slash Dimension", cutting it down with several ethereal slashes.

* * *

"The Demons killed my foster mother and drove my foster father into madness." Vergil's voice echoed once more as the scene changed into Genjuro working hard on his monitor, observing the growth of many artificial demons and weapons.

"I lost someone to those demons!" Fuka's voice echoed as the scene changed to Fuka and Desco standing back to back with the masked Vergil, and as soon as Vergil took off his mask, Fuka shed a few tears and Desco wore a shocked expression. "They killed my Prince Charming and locked me in this crazy dream!"

"Humans are flooding the Netherworld with corrupt souls!" Valvatorez's voice echoes as the scene changed to the Silversacks Towers with several screaming souls flying around it and Emizel trying desperately to reap them. "And it is preventing them from reincarnating!"

"The Demon King is controlling both the Human world and the Netherworld through debt." Vulcanus's voice echoed as the scene changed to a bank in Limbo where Stygians were extorting money from several accounts and the flow of souls being blocked from Celestia. "This is very bad for Celestia."

"This is it, Dante." The scene changed into Dante and Vergil standing before a demonic gate. "We have to put each others lives into each others hands without hesitation."

"We are brothers, after all." Dante replied to Vergil as they both walked into the portal, ready for whatever challenge awaited on the other side.

"Humans are being corrupted, the demons have shaken their belief in good and evil through media." The masked Vergil's distorted voice was heard through an interrupted report on the Raptor News Network. "They are being put to sleep, being brainwashed and blackmailed into submission."

"They wielded the powers of both Angels and Demons." Phineas explained to Dante the nature of his race's powers. "But unlike them, the Nephilim could easily cross worlds." The scene changed to Dante shifting from the Human world to Hades, he then encountered three Ravagers, he entered his "Devil Trigger" state, dyeing his coat red and turning his hair white, surrounding the area with demonic energy, lifting the Ravagers up into the air and freezing them there. "Seeing things differently can open new paths. Try opening your mind." Phineas's voice echoed.

Dante then lifted himself up to the Ravagers with Ophion and he transformed it into Aquila, he then hurled the blades at all of the ravagers, slashing them before transforming Aquila into Eryx, smashing the demons onto the ground.

* * *

"Soon, I will own everything worth owning." Mundus spoke in his office at the Silversacks Towers, the towers then transformed into black wings with a beam of light between them. "I have absolute power, and with the humans corrupted and the Netherworld under my control, everything will be mine."

"As long as I can get revenge on every single human, I'll help you control Fear the Great." Judge Nemo said as he entered Mundus's office, outside the window, several Malice demons were being formed by negative human emotions. "Getting them to give in to Malice is too easy."

"So, I'm travelling with a bunch of demons, an angel and a delusional middle schooler." The scene changed to Dante fighting alongside his party against several Dreamrunners led by the Drekavac. "What the hell did I do to deserve this?" He sighed as he cut down several demons.

"Hey, kid." The white haired Dante suddenly appeared before the black haired Dante and his party. "I told you I'd be in the spotlight!" The white haired Dante took out Rebellion and slashed at the screen, it then read, "Devil May Cry, The Traitor's Bloodline, Nephilim Arc." A few more words popped up. "Coming this January."

* * *

Dante, Vergil and Nero had just finished watching the trailer.

"The other me is quite…talkative." Vergil sighed, he found his parallel counterpart too different. "If you're in it, I guess I'm up for an appearance." He looked at an excited Dante.

"I wonder what my role will be?" Nero smiled; he enjoyed the action that was in the trailer. "I hope I'm not a voiceless DLC character!"

"I told you guys!" Dante smirked; he liked the fact that he appeared in the trailer. "Nobody steals my spotlight!"

* * *

Author's note: This was a trailer for the Nephilim Arc! We see some action scenes and story previews on DmC and Disgaea 4's events! This chapter was in a trailer format, so the events don't play chronologically, for added fun, play the song "ONE OK ROCK Nothing Helps" on Youtube! The Japanese image song for DmC! Expect the classic DMC characters to play big roles! I was inspired to write this after seeing the new trailer! You can pm me for the link to both the trailer and the song! We'll be seeing more chapters very soon, and don't worry about my other stories, most of them are 20% done! Don't forget to vote on the poll and the Dark Assembly!

Now to answer my reviewers

Zero-Nightmare

Thanks!

It was that or watch Holt Village burn, expect allot of girl trouble for Dante!

Yes, and Berial's role will be expanded on in the Sparda Arc. Sapphire herself will reveal it on later chapters.

Axel is the delusional comic relief everyone loves.

Dante's in for a ride and Etna will meet Nero really soon.

I'll be sure to deliver!

Reishin Amara

Let's just say that it's something Dante loves to joke about, and Etna will miss more than just Nero and Vergil.

Demons Parade

That will be one of the main themes of the Vergil Arc and a huge explanation on some of Nero's personality.

Not just the students, but Dante's up for a hell of his own!

I will, I hope you enjoy it!


	5. Trouble in Fortuna

Devil May Cry The Traitor's Bloodline, Nero Arc.

Chapter four: Trouble in Fortuna.

It was a cold night in Holt Village and Nero was fast asleep in the guest room of Adell's house, there, he was confronted with yet another dream of his sealed memories, this time, he and Rozalin were holding hands while watching the sunset.

"I love these moments with you." Rozalin gave Nero a loving smile, she felt very warm and happy around him and a welcome change from the loneliness she had felt in the mansion.

"Wouldn't trade them for anything." Nero returned Rozalin's smile, despite all the trouble it took to sneak out of Fortuna Castle and hike all the way to the Mitis Forest Hellgate, seeing her loving smile made all the effort worthwhile.

"N-Nero?" Rozalin blushed nervously as she started to play with her fingers; she wanted to tell him about the feelings she's been harboring for him since he had befriended her. "Wh-what do you think about love?"

"That's a tricky question…" Nero scratched his cheek as a blush of his own appeared; he tried his hardest to think of a response that would satisfy Rozalin. "I think that love is a good thing…I guess."

"Would you love a demon?" Rozalin blushed a deeper shade of red, she was very nervous about the question she had just asked Nero, hoping that he would say yes.

"Yeah, I think so; I did say I loved you, right?" Nero, who was still blushing, smiling nervously at Rozalin and acting on his own feelings for her. "I mean…you're a demon and you and I kissed…"

"Nero…" Rozalin smiled, beaming with joy from what she had just heard from him, the blush on her cheeks still present, she then hugged him tightly, not wanting their loving moment to end. "I love you so much!"

"I love you, too." Nero returned Rozalin's hug, he felt warmth in his heart as he held the girl he loved, and feeling like he was holding his whole world was in his arms. "I'll do anything to protect you."

* * *

The scenery of Nero's dream then changed into a demonic wasteland with a hill overlooking a clear blue lake, there, he saw the blue coated man standing next to a small red haired girl with a tail wearing a revealing black leather two-piece.

"What the hell?" Nero said as he spotted the two figures, he recognized the blue-coated man, but he had no idea who the red haired girl was, but he knew that he had a connection with these two figures, since they were in his dream.

"Even Hell has beautiful places like this…" The blue-coated man stared at the lake with a small smile on his face; he did not expect to find such a tranquil spot in the Netherworld, a place that was said to be a horrible prison for sinners. "This is probably a spot my father loved. What do you think, Etna?"

"Yeah, it's not so bad, I didn't think you liked this kind of thing, Vergil, since you're always so serious." Etna smiled playfully at the blue-coated man, she was glad that she made him smile, a change from his regular stoic attitude. "You look much better when you smile."

"I do appreciate beauty when it appears before me." Vergil continued to stare at the lake; he then turned his attention to Etna, looking into her eyes. "But right now…the beauty before me isn't this lake…it's you."

"Wh-what the hell are you saying!?" Etna's cheeks turned as red as her hair, Vergil's unexpected compliment made her feel a mix of both shock and happiness. "What's wrong with you?! Did you hit your head?!" She still couldn't believe that someone like him would say something romantic.

"I'm fine…in fact, I feel better than I ever have." Vergil approached Etna, seeing her all flustered by his compliment amused him. "Thanks to you…I feel more alive than ever." He took her hand in his and he gave her a sincere smile, the smile of someone genuinely happy to be in her presence.

"What about all the things you said about love being pointless?" Etna looked away from Vergil, her blush still present on her face. "You said you hated love and it was a weakness." She looked down sadly as some tears rolled down her cheeks, she still remembered his hurtful speech where he denounced love and made her feel like he'll never return her feelings for him.

"I thought that, yes." Vergil placed his hand on Etna's cheek and made her face him, seeing her blush and wiping away her tears. "But I know now that I was wrong…because if love was a weakness, I wouldn't be feeling this strong around you."

"What are you saying?" Etna was getting impatient, she wanted Vergil to say the three special words she wanted to hear from him for some time now. "Spit it out or I'll kill you right now!" She forcefully grabbed the collar of his coat.

"Etna…I love you." Vergil gazed into Etna's eyes; he felt that he was slowly regaining the heart that he thought he had discarded when his family was attacked by demons. "You've retrieved this devil's heart from the depths of Hell and made it yours."

"Took you long enough, you cold hearted jerk!" Etna pulled Vergil into a tight embrace, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks, despite her annoyed tone, she felt her heart racing as she heard him confess to her. "I love you, too!"

"This must be how my father felt…" Vergil gazed into Etna's eyes; he felt loving warmth in his heart as he pulled her into a hug.

"How long are you gonna keep me waiting!?" Etna gave Vergil an impatient glare; still wearing a red blush on her face, she was already expecting something to happen after his confession. "Just kiss me already!"

"As you wish, my Beauty Queen." Vergil cupped Etna's chin in his right and before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"That's disturbing…" Nero sighed, found the romantic exchange between Vergil and Etna quite unnerving. "I feel like I just walked in on my parents…" Suddenly, he remembered the words of the Prinnies and he recognized the names of the couple in his dream. "Well, who would've thought a nightmare could give you nightmares?"

* * *

The next morning, Nero, Rozalin and Adell were standing in front of the house; the trio was getting ready for yet another search for Overlord Zenon. Nero, however looked red-eyed and exhausted, he had spent most of his night trying to come to make sense his dream and the appearance of Vergil and Etna.

"These dreams are getting crazier…" Nero let out a yawn; he hardly slept at all the previous night and was tired and drowsy as a result. "Let's get this over with so I can get a good night's sleep."

"Man, what happened to you?" Adell noticed how tired Nero looked, He felt sorry for him and wondered if he, in his current state, could handle the hard work the day had in store. "You look like you could drop any minute now."

"Nero, you really should rest properly." Rozalin glanced at Nero; she was very concerned at his fatigued state and his general health. "Irregular sleeping schedules could get you sick."

"Thanks for the concern, but I can rest up after we're done." Nero smiled at Rozalin and Adell, truly thankful for their sentiments towards him; he then turned his attention to Rozalin, remembering her involvement in his dream. "Anything to protect her, huh? That's the second time I say that in my dreams…" He blushed slightly and mumbled, finding it hard to look at her for more than a few seconds without being reminded of the affection he had felt in his dreams.

"Nero, did you say something?" Rozalin heard his mumbling and she quickly noticed the flustered state he was in and she remembered that he had similar fatigued signs after his previous dream. "D-did you have another dream!?" Her face beamed with joy, the thought of him recovering yet another one of their childhood memories made her very happy.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" Nero looked away nervously; he didn't expect Rozalin to find out about his dream so quickly. "Dammit…she's sharp…" He sighed wanting to keep it a secret from her, but chances of that happening were impossible now. "Just my regular body clock issues!" He laughed a little, trying to pass off his current situation as a joke.

"Nero…" Rozalin glared daggers at him as her killer aura from the previous day returned, this time, her forehead was shadowed by her bangs and her eyes appeared to be glowing red. "Don't lie to me…you had another dream…didn't you?" She pulled out Noble Rose, enraged that he was trying to lie to her.

"Nero, you should fix this!" Adell urged Nero to calm the enraged Rozalin down, still remembering Rozalin's rampage from the previous day, not wanting to see something that terrifying again.

"You don't have to tell me twice…" Nero sighed in resignation; he didn't want to make things with Rozalin any more awkward than they were now, but the alternative as seen during the previous day, would have been far worse. "Fine, I had another dream about you…" He admitted to her, hoping that she would calm down. "We were watching the sunset and you asked me if I would love a demon…or something."

"Nero…" Rozalin could barely contain herself as she felt a sense of overwhelming joy, a warm blush made its way across her cheeks, she then ran up to Nero and hugged him tightly. "That's one of my most precious memories with you." She looked up at him with tears of joy in her eyes. "I'm so glad you remember!"

"Good grief…" Nero hugged Rozalin back, feeling the same warmth and happiness he had felt with her in his dream, though he didn't want to admit it, he was glad that he had told her. "You're acting like an emotional girlfriend…"

"G-g-girlfriend?!" Rozalin blushed as she heard Nero say that word; her cheeks were so red that she had to cover them with her hands and she felt her heart race. "W-what are you saying!?"

"Take it easy." Nero sighed, regretting his choice of words, but he was glad to see that Rozalin was feeling better, even finding her blush really cute.

"Hey newlyweds, can you stop cuddling for just a second?" Adell saw the obvious romantic exchange between Nero and Rozalin, seeing both a Holy Knight and a stuck up princess like that was embarrassing to watch. "We have to find Overlord Zenon!"

"You're getting the wrong idea!" Nero quickly let go of Rozalin, realizing the implications of the position they were in. "We're not like that!"

"Th-that's right!" Rozalin blushed even redder, though she enjoyed the tender moment she and Nero were having but she still had her pride as a princess on her mind. "I'm simply rewarding my knight for remembering me!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourselves that." Adell rolled his eyes at Nero and Rozalin, seeing their attempts at hiding their obvious affections for one another was hard to watch.

* * *

Nero, Rozalin and Adell approached Friday, who was looking very frantic and nervous, like she had an important piece of news she was waiting to share with the trio.

"So, what do you have in store for us today, Friday?" Nero walked over to her, looking forward to finding a lead on both Overlord Zenon and the red-coated man.

"Mr. Nero, it's horrible!" Friday was teary eyed and worried, she tried her best to remain calm so that she can convey the news to him without shocking him too much. "A Demon Lord is headed to Fortuna!"

"Are you serious?!" Nero was shocked to hear the news from Friday, he was worried about the people of Fortuna, particularly Sapphire and Credo. "Can you take us to where the Demon Lord was last sighted?"

"I-I'll do my best!" Friday opened up a portal that led to the abandoned mining district of Fortuna. "He should be there…"

"Thanks!" Nero picked up Friday and hugged her tightly in his excitement, earning him a blush from her and a jealous glare from Rozalin. "I owe you one!" He smiled and before putting her down, glad that he could protect Fortuna from the Demon Lord.

"J-just come back to me safely, ok?" Friday continued to blush, unable to look Nero in the eyes, she played with her fingers as she remembered the hug she had received moments earlier.

"Umm…ok?" Nero was surprised by Friday's sudden mood change and her choice of words, but he decided to let that slide for the moment. "I'll come back in one piece."

"Nero!" Rozalin hugged his arm, wearing an angry and jealous expression on her face, seeing how affectionate he was being with Friday really upset her. "I won't let my knight be reduced to a common lecher!"

"You really have terrible luck with women." Adell sighed, upon remembering a past incident involving a demon woman and seeing the similarities between his previous situation and Nero's. "Not that I'm one to talk…"

"Guess we're friends for a reason." Nero patted Adell on the back; he could tell that he's been through some rough times and that he could relate.

"Got that right, let's go save Fortuna!" Adell smiled and raised his fist in excitement, he was eager to fight the Demon Lord alongside Nero. "I'm so pumped up for this fight!"

* * *

Within the walls of Fortuna Castle, Credo and his battalion of Holy Knights were searching everywhere for Princess Sapphire, who had escaped the castle grounds recently.

"Damn! I can't find the princess anywhere!" Credo cursed as he continued the search for Sapphire, dreading the consequences of his negligence or worse, anything happening to her.

* * *

On the outskirts of Fortuna City, Sapphire, holding the gun that Nero had given her, was on her way to the abandoned mining district.

"I can't just sit here and watch as a Demon Lord threatens Fortuna!' Sapphire was determined to protect her people; she didn't want a repeat of the tragedies that tool the lives of many of her most trusted Holy Knights. "I'll stop him myself."

Nero, Rozalin and Adell exited the portal and they found themselves at the abandoned mining district of Fortuna, there they saw several rundown buildings and a Hellgate that looked identical to the one in Mitis Forest.

"Looks like we're the welcoming committee, we better show this guy a good time." Nero joked as he saw the Hellgate, anticipating the appearance of the Demon Lord and getting ready to fight him.

"I'm all fired up!" Adell cracked his knuckles, he saw fighting a Demon Lord as the perfect test for his strength as well as a good workout. "This guy won't know what hit him!"

"I have nothing to worry about; I have my knight here to protect me." Rozalin smiled, confident that Nero would keep her safe. "But I'll fight him if I must." She took out Noble Rose, preparing to cover Nero from afar.

* * *

Just as the trio concluded their conversation the middle of the Hellgate burned and a torrent of flames erupted from it followed by a horned, flaming centaur like Demon Lord with lion-like features, charcoal colored skin, his body was engulfed in flames and they formed wings on his back and he wielded a large magma sword, he let out a loud roar before burning all the buildings around him.

"You three look human…yet…" The Demon Lord turned his attention to Nero, Rozalin and Adell, though outwardly, they appeared human and he sensed something very strange about all three of them.

"You had to say fire…" Nero rolled his eyes at Adell, remembering his remark about being "fired up" He then took out Red Queen and swung it, generating a wind to blow away the fires caused by the Demon Lord as a challenging gesture.

"How curious…" Berial was surprised by Nero's sudden action, he expected someone so human-like in appearance to cower in fear instead of calling attention to him.

"Fire's bad for the complexion. I burn easily, never tan." Nero joked, trying to amuse himself during his encounter with the Demon Lord.

"When I came to this world 2,000 years ago, there was no one who challenged me as you do." The Demon Lord approached Nero, wielding his magma broadsword and preparing for a fight.

"Wanna make it another 2,000?" Nero mocked the Demon Lord with the intention of breaking his concentration during the upcoming fight. "You know, the whole fire and brimstone look is exactly what I'd expect from a Demon Lord, come on, can you be any more typical?"

"Silence!" The Demon Lord was enraged at Nero's disrespectful attitude; he then ran his magma sword straight at him, only to have it blocked by Red Queen, tip to tip before being pushed back. "Futile pest, you will suffer the wrath of Berial! I, the conqueror of the Fire Hell!" The Demon Lord pointed his magma sword at Nero before letting out a menacing roar.

"Alright, Rozalin? Adell?" Nero smirked, getting ready for his battle against Berial. "Ready to put out a huge demon shaped fire?" He pointed Red Queen at the Demon Lord.

"You bet!" Adell gave Berial a battle crazed smile before cracking his knuckles, he was excited to fight such a powerful opponent after his relatively easy fight with the Prinnies the other day.

"I usually don't engage in such brutal activities." Rozalin pointed Noble Rose at Berial, she didn't want to show it, due to her noble image, but she wanted to impress Nero. "But I'm willing to make an exception this time."

Berial jumped into the air with his Magma sword in hand and prepared to crush the trio, only to have his sword caught by the ghostly extension of Nero's Devil Bringer, Nero then threw the sword up into the air Berial still holding it.

"Now Adell!" Nero urged him to attack Berial while the Demon Lord was still falling from where he was thrown.

"I got your back!" Adell ran up to Berial and jumped right in front of him before assaulting him with a barrage of strong kicks and punches. "Eat this!" He sent the Demon Lord plummeting into the ground with one last brutal punch.

"You insects, how dare you!?" Berial recovered from the attack and roared in anger before summoning several flaming pillars, attempting to incinerate the trio.

"I won't let you lay a finger on my knight!" Rozalin glared at Berial, she was enraged at the Demon Lord for threatening Nero and she then fired several magically charged bullets from Noble Rose at the Demon Lord.

"Nice save!" Nero smiled at Rozalin before running up to Berial and delivering a strong kick to the Demon Lord's chest before firing several rounds from Blue Rose at the Demon Lord.

"I'll burn you all to ashes!" Berial roared out and released his demonic energy out in the form of an infernal explosion that destroyed the buildings around him.

"Get Back!" Nero stood between the explosion and Rozalin and Adell, shielding them with the Devil Bringer's ghostly extension. "Are you ok?"

"Nero…" Rozalin blushed, being protected by him again was really a good feeling for her, but she still held on to her noble pride. "As expected of my knight!"

"Thanks, I owe you one!" Adell smiled, thankful for Nero's help, he then raised his fist up in the air and prepared to fight once more.

"Now to take care of you!" Nero ran up to Berial and jumped up near the Demon Lord's head performing "Buster" grabbing him by the head with the Devil Bringer's ghostly extension and slamming him to the ground.

"That arm…" An injured Berial recovered and noticed Nero's Devil Bringer, he sensed a powerful demonic aura coming from it. "What are you?!"

"Don't ask…" Nero looked at the Devil Bringer before turning his attention to Berial. "Damn thing drives me crazy though."

"You have lost, leave now!" Rozalin pointed Noble Rose at Berial, still infuriated at his attempts at harming Nero.

"I expected more from a Demon Lord…" Adell crossed his arms, slightly disappointed at how short the fight was. "But, then again, three versus one wasn't exactly fair."

"You…" Berial saw the images of a white haired man wearing a purple coat and a monocle in Nero and a pale blond woman with piercing red eyes in Rozalin. "Sparda and Zenon…you are just as they were… I must restore my powers!" The Demon Lord disappeared into the Hellgate in a torrent of flames.

"Well, that was weird…" Nero placed Red Queen on his back, thinking that Berial comparing him to Sparda was very strange.

"He fled once he sensed my blood, naturally, since my father is the God of all Overlords." Rozalin smiled proudly at her heritage, thinking that Berial acknowledged her nobility.

* * *

Just as the Trio was getting ready to return to Holt Village, they were spotted by Sapphire, who had just arrived in the abandoned mining district.

"N-Nero?!" Sapphire was shocked to see him back in Fortuna and even more shocked to see that he was with Rozalin and Adell, remembering Nero as the loner type.

"Princess Sapphire? What are you doing here?" Nero was shocked as well, he thought that she was safe in Fortuna Castle; he never thought that she would be out here in such a dangerous place. "Does Credo know you're here?"

"I came here to kill the Demon Lord." Sapphire still couldn't believe that she was seeing Nero back in Fortuna but she was very happy to see him again. "I'm so glad you're here…" She smiled at him as she walked closer.

"Nero…" Rozalin was enraged and jealous; she knew immediately that Sapphire was the other princess that Nero had mentioned the other day. "You're my knight…I won't let you cheat on me with another princess!"

"Nero?" Sapphire saw how jealous Rozalin was, which made her suspect that she and Nero were quite close, this made her jealous as well. "Who is this woman?"

"W-well… Rozalin is…" Nero struggled to find the right answer, sensing both Rozalin and Sapphire's jealous auras instilled a great sense of fear in him.

"I'm his childhood friend and his princess!" Rozalin grabbed Nero's Devil Bringer and glared at Sapphire with killer intent in her eyes. "Nero is my knight!"

"You shouldn't be seeing strange girls behind my back…" Sapphire wore a jealous and angry expression and she clung onto Nero's left arm tightly, almost breaking it. "I'm your princess, remember? We were raised together!" She glared angrily at Rozalin. "I'm coming with you! I won't let her take you away from me!"

"Nero, you have my deepest sympathies." Adell sensed the jealous and angry auras from both Rozalin and Sapphire; even he was frightened by what he had seen.

"Great…this mission just got harder…" Nero sighed as both Rozalin and Sapphire clung tightly onto his arms, he felt that his situation had gotten far more chaotic and complicated than before. "Am I gonna make it outta this alive?"

* * *

At the entrance of the Evil Academy, Dante was preparing to start his new temporary job as a teacher there, he was feeling confident, yet he didn't exactly enjoy the thought of meeting his old classmates.

"Well, I'm going to a school that you ace by skipping class and playing pranks." Dante smirked, remembering all the hijinks he had pulled in the Evil Academy. "Let's rock!" He then kicked open the door with his trademark grin on his face.

* * *

Author's note: Sorry for the wait! I got so caught up in my activities and my computer crashed and I had to write this again from the ground up! Holt Village will serve as the hub and Friday will take Nero and his party to locations found in both Devil May Cry 4 and Disgaea 2, the second half of Nero's dream sequence is a scene from later on in the Vergil arc, which is next on my update priority list. Sapphire joins the party and Nero is up for some stressful times! Next chapter, we meet Tink at Zenon's palace and we see Dante's first day in the Evil Academy! Soon I will be introducing Adell's new love interest, I'll give you guys a clue, she's a character from GrimGrimoire. I hope you guys don't mind, but Dante's focus chapter in the Evil Academy will come later on and by popular demand, Beryl will have a huge crush on him!

Now to answer my reviewers

Demons Parade

I hope you liked this chapter! Look forward to a new Vergil Arc chapter soon!

Zero-Nightmare

Glad you enjoyed it!


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